February
11, 2014
A
study conducted by the American Transport Research Institute (ATRI) found an
overall reduction in the "severity and frequency" of truck accidents.
One of the contributing factors for this statistic may be a Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration program called the Compliance, Safety,
Accountability (CSA) initiative. The CSA gives safety scores to carriers, and a
low safety score could lead to shutting down operations. Other safety factors
include truck monitoring systems, and new technology that companies use to
track their fleet and assess fuel consumption. This technology can also ensure
that drivers are in compliance with hours of service (HOS) requirements and it
keeps them from making unannounced stops that could lead to reckless behavior.
Truck
drivers might not like the idea of having monitoring systems on board
their rigs, but this new technology could address major truck safety concerns.
A recent study published in the International Journal of Injury Control and
Safety Prevention found that commercial trucks account for roughly eight
percent of all traffic on U.S. highways. However, the same study also said that
11 percent of all fatal crashes involve commercial trucks. This means that any
increase in the amount of commercial trucks on the road can disproportionately
raise the risk of fatal crashes.
GreedRoad
is one of these new applications designed to improve safety and driver
efficiency. The company claims that using their application leads to a "60
percent reduction in accident costs." Another video product called
SmartDrive Systems allows trucking company managers to track driver behavior.
They can see if drivers are tailgating, braking too hard, or doing anything
else deemed unsafe.
Large
carriers have also begun utilizing other built-in safety technologies on their
fleets. Ryder System Inc., for example, uses a built-in breaking assist
function that can automatically cause a truck to brake should vehicles or
objects appear in its path of travel. This technology will likely cut down on rear-end
crashes. Another built-in technology used by large fleets is axle control,
which prevents rollover crashes if a trucker takes a turn with too much
speed.
While it is true that this technology is primarily used by
trucking companies to increase productivity, the safety aspect is a
"beneficial side effect," according to a Forbes
report. Despite some drivers feeling that these systems are too scrutinous,
the technology is good for everyone. For example, this technology can not only
exonerate truck drivers in disputed accidents, it can make the roads safer for
the rest of us.
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